Amphipolis

Amphip'olis

(Α᾿μφίπολις, city on both sides), a city of Macedonia, through which Paul and Silas passed on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica (Ac 17:1; see Conybeare and, Howson, Life of Paul, 1, 318 sq.). It was distant 33 Roman miles from Philippi (Itin. Anton. p. 320). It was situated along the Egnatian Way, on the left bank of the river Strymon (by which it was nearly surrounded [hence its name]), just below its egress from the lake Kerkine (now Takino), and about three miles above its influx into the sea (Leake, Northern Greece, 3, 181 sq.; Cousinery, Voyage dans le Macedoine, 1, 128). This situation upon the banks of a navigable river, a short distance from the sea, with the vicinity of the woods of Kerkine and the gold-mines of Mount Pangaeus, rendered Amphipolis a place of much importance (see Kutzen, De Amphipoli, Lips. 1836), and an object of contest between the Thracians, Athenians, Lacedaemonians, and Macedonians, to whom it successively belonged (Thucyd. 1:100; 4:102 sq.; Herod. 7:117; Diod. Sic. 16:8; Appian. 4:104 sq.; Plin. 4:17; Liv. 45:29; Cellar, Notit. 1, 1053 sq.). It was a colony of the Athenians, and was memorable in the Peloponnesian war for the battle fought under its walls, in which both Brasidas and Cleon were killed (Thuc. 5,6-11). It has long been in ruins; and a village of about one hundred houses, called Neokhorio ("New Town;" in Turkish Jeni-keni), now occupies part of its site (Tafel, Thessalonica, p. 498 sq.). There is a miserable place near it called Emboli by the Turks, a corruption of the ancient name. It was called Popolia in the time of the Byzantine empire. (See Anthon's Class. Dict s.v.; Penny Cyclopedia, s.v.; Smith's Dict. of Class. Geogr. s.v.)